1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an improved method and apparatus for cooking food products by the depositing of a liquid batter upon a movable thermally conductive belt atop of and in contact with a relatively fixed heating platen.
2. The Prior Art
In the prior art, separate or discrete methods and devices are provided for cooking the likes of pancakes, crepes, omelettes, french toast, cookies and other generally flat food products made from batters and liquid mixes.
The use of chain conveyors and flat metal grills is well known for food cooking and in the cooking of liquid batters.
There is no single machine that can make and cook pancakes, crapes, omelettes and so forth.
The machines which exist for making crepes are factory type machines and are large, expensive, complicated, and custom manufactured. Machines of this type are not available at a price level enabling economically effective development and use in a retailing situation.
An initial endeavor to devise a method and cooking machine using a thermally conductive movable belt has been made by Stephen Sieradzki of Haileah, Fla. and is the subject of his co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 408,752 filed on Sept. 19, 1989. Sieradzki found that it was difficult to achieve effective thermal condition from a fixed plate through a moving belt to food atop the belt. Sieradzki's solution is to apply a partial vacuum between the plate and the belt to enhance thermal transfer via conductivity. Sieradzki also devised a method and cooking machine with first and second belt sections wherein primary cooking is achieved on the first belt and final cooking and/or food forming is done on the second belt section. Tracking of the movable belt was also found difficult to control.